Lee Patrick Brown (born October 4, 1937) is a criminologist, public administrator, politician and businessman; in 1997 he was the first African American to be elected mayor of Houston, Texas. He was reelected twice to serve the maximum of three terms from 1998 to 2004.

He has had a long career in law enforcement and academia; leading police departments in Atlanta, Houston and New York over the course of nearly four decades. With practical experience and a doctorate from University of California, Berkeley, he has combined research and operations in his career. After serving as Public Safety Commissioner of Atlanta, Georgia, he was appointed in 1982 as the first African-American police chief in Houston, Texas, where he implemented techniques in community policing to reduce crime.

His parents Andrew and Zelma Brown were sharecroppers in Oklahoma, and Lee Brown was born in Wewoka. His family, including six brothers, moved to California in the second wave of the Great Migration and his parents continued as farmers. A high school athlete, Brown earned a football scholarship to Fresno State University, where he earned a B.S. in criminology in 1960. That year he started as a police officer in San Jose, California, where he served for eight years. Brown was elected as the president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association (union) and served from 1965–1966.

In 1972, Brown was appointed associate director of the Institute of Urban Affairs and Research and professor of Public Administration and director of Criminal Justice programs at Howard University. In 1974, Brown was named Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon and in 1976 became director of the Department of Justice Services.

In 1978 he was appointed Public Safety Commissioner of Atlanta, Georgia, serving to 1982. Brown and his staff oversaw investigation of the Atlanta Child Murders case and increased efforts to provide safety in black areas of the city during the period when murders were committed.

In 1982 Brown was the first African American to be appointed as Police Chief to the City of Houston, serving until 1990. He was first appointed by Mayor Kathy Whitmire. [a] There, he implemented methods of Community Policing, building relationships with the city's diverse communities.[3]

In December 1989 Brown was named by Mayor David Dinkins as Police Commissioner of New York City, the first non-New Yorker appointed in a quarter of a century as head of the nation's largest police force.[3] He was also the first black to head that force.[4] In January 1990, he took over a police force that was seven times the size of Houston's, with "a complex organization of more than 26,000 officers" and a 346-member executive corps of officers at the rank of captain and above. At the time, the force was 75% white; there were issues of perception of police justice and sensitivity in a city with a population estimated to be half minorities: black, Hispanic and Asian.[3]

Brown implemented community policing citywide, which reportedly quadrupled the number of police officers on foot patrol and had a goal of creating a partnership between the police and citizens. The fact that reported crimes were 6.7 percent lower for the first four months of 1992, compared to the previous year, indicated that Brown's program was having a positive effect, according to the Treadwell article.[4]

On the other hand, according to Treadwell, the police department was being criticized for the alleged ineffectiveness of its internal affairs division in the wake of allegations drug dealing and bribery by some officers. Dinkins had appointed a five-member panel to investigate the corruption allegations, and had asked the City Council to establish an all-civilian review board to look at charges of police brutality. Brown was already on record as opposing both actions. Both Brown and Dinkins took great pains to assure reporters that the policy disagreement played no role in Brown's decision to leave.[4]

Brown submitted his resignation from the New York City position effective September 1, 1992. He and Mayor Dinkins held a joint news conference to explain the reason for his sudden departure. Brown stated that he was leaving to care for his wife, who was ill, and to rejoin the rest of his family, who were still in Houston. He added that he had accepted a college teaching position in Houston.[4]

In the late 1990s, Brown returned to Houston and entered politics directly, running for mayor as a Democrat. In 1997, Brown became the first African American elected as mayor of Houston. During Brown's administration, the city invested extensively in infrastructure: it started the first 7.5 mile leg of its light-rail system and obtained voter approval for an extension,[5] along with increases in bus service, park and ride facilities, and HOV lanes. It opened three new professional sports facilities, attracting visitors to the city. It revitalized the downtown area: constructing the City's first convention center hotel, doubling the size of the convention center; and constructing the Hobby Center of the Performing Arts. In addition, it built and renovated new libraries, police and fire stations. Brown initiated a $2.9 billion development program at the city's airport,[5] which consisted of new terminals and runways; and a consolidated rental car facility; in addition to renovation of other terminals and runways. He built a new water treatment plant.[citation needed]

Brown also advanced the city's affirmative action program; installed programs in city libraries to provide access to the Internet; built the state-of-the-art Houston Emergency Communications Center; implemented e-government, and opened new parks. Brown led trade missions for the business community to other countries and promoted international trade. He increased the number of foreign consulates.

Brown undertook a massive program to reconstruct the downtown street system and replace the aging underground utility system. The accompanying traffic problems was made a campaign issue by his opponent, three-term city councilman Orlando Sanchez in the 2001 election campaign. In 2001 Brown narrowly survived the reelection challenge and runoff against Sanchez, a Cuban-born man who grew up in Houston. The election characterized by especially high voter turnout in both black and Hispanic districts.

Sanchez' supporters highlighted poor street conditions, campaigning that the "P stands for Pothole," referring to Brown's middle initial. Sanchez drove a Hummer as his campaign vehicle during this period, which was adorned with the banner, "With Brown in Town it's the only way to get around."[citation needed]

Following the death of Houston Fire Captain Jay Janhke in the line of duty, Sanchez gained endorsements from the fire/emergency medical services sector.[6] Brown changed Fire Department policy on staffing as a result of captain's death.[6] He was endorsed by the Houston Police Officers' Association.[citation needed]

The Brown-Sanchez election attracted involvement from several national political figures, who contributed to its rhetoric. Brown was endorsed by former Democratic president Bill Clinton while Sanchez was endorsed by then-President George W. Bush, former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush; Rudy Giuliani and a host of other Republicans. Some members of the President's cabinet campaigned for Sanchez in Houston.

Voting split along racial and political party lines, with a majority of African Americans and Asians (largely Democrats) supporting Brown, and a majority of Hispanic and Anglo voters (largely Republicans) supporting Sanchez. Brown had 43% in the first round of voting, and Sanchez 40%, which resulted in their competing in a run-off. Chris Bell received 16% of the ballots cast in the first round.[8][9] Brown narrowly won reelection by a margin of three percentage points following heavy voter turnout in predominantly Black precincts, compared to relatively light turnout in Hispanic precincts, although Hispanic voting in the runoff election was much higher than previously.

Brown's 2001 reelection was one of the last major political campaigns supported by the Houston-based Enron Corporation, which collapsed in a financial scandal days after the election.

2004 - The Metropolitan Transit Authority Administration Building, headquarters of Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, was named for Brown to honor his work in transportation, police protection, education and revitalization of the city.[5]

2005 – The Houston in Harmony mural in honor of Mayor Lee P. Brown was moved March 23, 2005 to the Lee P. Brown Metropolitan Transit Authority Administration Building at the request of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, where it is on permanent display.[5]

1999 – Honey Brown Hope Foundation commissioned a mural, Houston in Harmony, in honor of Mayor Lee P. Brown's work in diversity; it was displayed at the City Hall Annex during his tenure, to 2003.[5]

^The appointment was controversial, with the president of the Houston Police Officer Association claiming that he was "shocked and surprised" by the mayor's choice and suggested that she had appointed Brown just because he was black. Brown was also the first outsider to be nominated for that position since 1941.[2]